Some of my plants are shallow rooted and the regular push in the ground sensors works for them. Some of my plants have deeper roots and the garden beds are on sand so I need a sensor for deeper in the ground. I did not find one suitable in local shops and the devices online do not go into that detail. Given that you have raised beds, one regular sensor might work if pushed in the ground around the bottom of the bed. You could then measure the moisture at the bottom of the bed.
WiFi is a good idea. Replace the Zero with a Zero W. I find 2.5 GHz works from the garden into the house if the walls are not metal. Metal fences and walls block the WiFi.
A small battery with a small solar panel for recharging. I am investigating non Lipo batteries. Lithium iron and NiMH because they do not burst into flames. AA and similar rechargeable batteries because they are cheap, easy to use, and easy to replace when compared to Lipo. There are many options and some are cheap in some countries.
My experience with off the shelf power packs and lithium rechargeable stuff is five charge discharge cycles if you are lucky. The real capacity is often way less than the started capacity. And the batteries deteriorate many times faster than what a good battery would. See if you can find long term usage reviews of products before buying.
WiFi is a good idea. Replace the Zero with a Zero W. I find 2.5 GHz works from the garden into the house if the walls are not metal. Metal fences and walls block the WiFi.
A small battery with a small solar panel for recharging. I am investigating non Lipo batteries. Lithium iron and NiMH because they do not burst into flames. AA and similar rechargeable batteries because they are cheap, easy to use, and easy to replace when compared to Lipo. There are many options and some are cheap in some countries.
My experience with off the shelf power packs and lithium rechargeable stuff is five charge discharge cycles if you are lucky. The real capacity is often way less than the started capacity. And the batteries deteriorate many times faster than what a good battery would. See if you can find long term usage reviews of products before buying.
Statistics: Posted by peterlite — Wed May 22, 2024 12:30 am